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Genesis — Seeding the Universe: Scenarios, Footprints, and Tests

Creator vs. natural vs. first; how to look, how to act, and how to leave τ-robust messages
Author: Tristan White • v1.1 • Updated: Tue, Sep 2, 2025

Abstract

We outline four live scenarios for cosmic origins relative to "seeding": (i) natural self-generation, (ii) civilizational genesis by earlier minds, (iii) simulation, and (iv) we are early/first. Each admits observable footprints or decision-relevant bounds. We restore a detailed catalog of mathematical encoding options (carriers, codes, statistics, capacity/robustness, and selection formalism), propose concrete, falsifiable programs, and argue for τ-robust messages if "first" remains plausible.

Version Note

v1.1 additions: Decision tree; restored & expanded mathematical options; testable footprints table; τ-robust messaging; "we're first" governance; three pre-registrable program sketches.

1. Decision Tree

BranchClaimImplications
Natural Universes arise lawfully (inflation/bounce/black-hole budding) Seeding is scientific extension; look for baseline relics (no engineered signals)
Civilizational genesis Earlier minds seeded ours Search for engineered encodings in early conditions/constants/topology
Simulation Universe computed by an external agent Proceed with standard tests; predictions & falsifiers still carry inside the sim
We are first/early No prior seeders in our past light cone Ethical stewardship; publish open protocols; multiple redundant messages

2. Mathematical Options & Encoders

2.1 Carriers (where to put bits)

CarrierHandleNoise ModelPros / Cons
Topology Compact spatial manifolds; matched circles Cosmic variance; masking Dimensionless & robust / low capacity, difficult inference
CMB spectrum & phases Low-ℓ phase patterns; harmonic coefficients aℓm Gaussian random field + systematics Global visibility / strong multiple-testing penalties
Dimensionless constants {α, me/mp, Q, Gℏ/c³, …} Measurement error; drift Simple & universal / very low capacity if stability is tight
Early-universe geometry Features in inflationary potential; spectral running Model dependence; degeneracies Medium capacity / interpretability risk
Cosmic web morphology Persistent homology; Euler characteristic χ Nonlinear growth; bias Topological redundancy / late-time contamination

2.2 Codes & algebra (how to structure bits)

  • Short, prime-length sequences: Barker-like, Legendre, m-sequences (GF(2) LFSR) for low autocorrelation sidelobes.
  • Error-correcting codes: Hamming, BCH, Reed–Solomon, extended Golay (24,12,8) for compact payloads with parity/checksums.
  • Group-theoretic placements: encode on irreps of SO(3) via selected aℓm with symmetry constraints.
  • Balanced alphabets: ternary/biased codes to survive coarse graining; constant-weight codebooks for spectral carriers.

2.3 Statistics & tests (how to detect/reject)

  • Compression tests (AIC/MDL proxies): does a candidate code reduce description length vs. null?
  • Algorithmic proxies: LZ76/CTW complexity on carrier strings (pre-registered mapping from map → string).
  • Autocorrelation & cross-correlation: max normalized deviation vs. Gaussian phase nulls.
  • Multiple testing control: Bonferroni for small families; Benjamini–Hochberg (FDR) for broader scans.
  • Bayesian comparison: Bayes factors with explicit code priors and noise models.

2.4 Capacity & robustness (how many bits survive)

C ≈ Σi log₂(1 + (τenc,i² / σi²)) (orthogonal carriers i)

Choose τenc,i (tolerated embedding amplitude) below detection thresholds that would break cosmology; model σi (noise) per carrier. Use repetition and interleaving to trade rate for reliability (Shannon).

2.5 Selection formalism (if universes reproduce)

F(θ) = λBH(θ) · H(θ) ; θ = { α, me/mp, Q, G, … }

Reproductive fitness F combines black-hole yield λBH and habitability H. Ridge tests: is our observed θ near ∇F ≈ 0 with a negative-definite Hessian?

2.6 Decoder pipelines (how a descendant would read)

  1. Carrier-specific preprocessing (masking, filtering, topology inference).
  2. Map to canonical strings/vectors (harmonic coefficients, ratio tuples, persistence barcodes).
  3. Apply pre-registered statistics; decode with ECC if parity bits present.
  4. Publish code, null ensembles, and decision thresholds.

2.7 Risk & ethics

Prefer diagnostic encodings that do not materially perturb structure formation. No payload should increase existential risk to downstream observers.

3. Observable Footprints & Tests

3.1 Engineered encodings (civilizational genesis)

TargetWhat to look forTest sketchNotes
CMB low-ℓ morphology Compressible, pre-specified short codes Pre-register code family/statistic → apply to Planck/next CMB maps Avoid p-hacking: single statistic, correction for look-elsewhere
Dimensionless constants Encodable bits in measured values Bound how many stable bits survive lab error & cosmic variance Prefer ratios; publish negative result if infeasible
Topology Preferred compactifications (circles/matches) Hunt matched circles; constrain specific topologies Conservative priors; replication across pipelines

3.2 Natural baselines

  • Bubble collisions/bounce relics: survey very-large-scale anomalies with pre-specified templates.
  • No engineered codes: null strengthens the natural baseline.

3.3 "We're first" circumstantial bounds

  • Galaxy-scale waste heat/technosignatures: aggregate upper limits → "no prior galaxy-scale engineers to redshift Z".
  • Parameter selection: if reproductive selection acts (BH + life-friendly chemistry), are our constants near local yield ridges?

4. τ-Robust Message Design for Baby Universes

Messages should survive extreme coarse-graining and dissipation. Favor dimensionless, topological, and spectral encodings.

4.1 Principles

  • Dimensionless invariants: use ratios (e.g., r ≡ α/αG) rather than units.
  • Small alphabets: short prime-length sequences; error-correcting repetition.
  • Orthogonality: place the same payload in multiple independent carriers (constants, topology, spectrum).

4.2 Example payload (toy)

M = { prime length p, Barker-like autocorrelation, checksum }

Embed M as: (a) low-ℓ CMB phase pattern, (b) slight biases in a set of dimensionless ratios within error tolerance, (c) preferred compact topology signature.

5. If We're First: Safety & Governance

Responsibility Box: If "first" remains plausible, adopt a cosmic safety charter: publish open protocols; require multi-party review; set τ-budget risk caps; encode norms in any outbound message; ensure redundancy and revocability where feasible.
  • Great Filter awareness: assume unknown failure modes; track leading indicators; use slow, staged deployments.
  • Open pre-registration: time-stamped plans for searches and encodings to minimize bias and coordinate globally.
  • Plural encoders: avoid single-point failure of culture/values; diversify payload custodians.

6. Programs & Pipelines (Pre-registrable)

6.1 CMB Code Search (low-ℓ)

  1. Specify a tiny code family before looking (e.g., prime-length Barker sequences up to N = 47).
  2. Define one statistic (normalized autocorrelation deviation), one mask, one null ensemble.
  3. Freeze the analysis; run on Planck maps and a held-out replication pipeline.

6.2 Bits-in-Constants Feasibility

  1. Choose a set of dimensionless constants and current 1σ uncertainties.
  2. Compute Shannon capacity under measurement noise + drift models.
  3. Report upper bound on encodable bits; negative results welcome.

6.3 Black-Hole Yield Sensitivity Map

  1. Vary a minimal parameter set (e.g., α, me/mp, Q, G).
  2. Simulate stellar IMF, lifetimes, BH formation, heavy-element yield.
  3. Publish contours; test whether our point lies on a ridge/plateau.

7. Falsifiers, Nulls, and Bounds

  • Engineered encodings falsified: pre-reg code search returns consistent nulls across pipelines → disfavors civilizational-genesis messaging (not the whole branch).
  • Messages-in-constants infeasible: capacity ≪ 1 bit under stability/noise → abandon that carrier; focus on topology/spectrum.
  • Selection ridges absent: BH yield flat across neighborhood → weakens reproduction-based selection stories.
  • Technosignature bounds: no galaxy-scale engineers to redshift Z → increases plausibility of "first/early."

References

  1. Standard cosmology texts on inflation, CMB, topology searches.
  2. Method papers on pre-registration, MDL, and multiple-testing control in cosmology.
  3. Information theory (Shannon capacity; error-correcting codes) and algorithmic complexity references.
  4. Prior discussions of cosmic selection (black-hole reproduction) and anthropic constraints.
  5. White, T. (2025). Unified Temporal—Energetic Geometry; τ-first messaging concepts.

Appendix A — CMB Code Search (Pre-Reg Sketch)

H₀: CMB phases are Gaussian/random under the chosen mask
H₁: There exists a prime-length sequence s with autocorrelation Rs exceeding threshold T
  • Code family: Barker-like sequences, prime lengths ≤ 47.
  • Statistic: max normalized autocorrelation deviation across code/rotation.
  • Null: 10,000 Gaussian phase randomizations with identical power spectrum.
  • Decision: one-tailed p with Bonferroni correction for the code family size.

Appendix B — Bits in Constants (Feasibility)

Let x be a dimensionless constant with measured value x̂ and uncertainty σ. The per-constant channel capacity (bits) under Gaussian noise with tolerance τenc is approximately:

Cx ≈ log₂(1 + (τenc² / σ²))

Aggregate across near-orthogonal constants; penalize for correlations and long-term drifts. If Σ Cx ≪ 1, constants are a poor carrier.

Appendix C — Black-Hole Yield Sensitivity Map

Define a minimal parameter vector θ = { α, me/mp, Q, G }, then:

YBH(θ) = ∫ IMF(θ) × PBH|M,θ × SFR(θ) dM dt

Publish contour plots of YBH(θ). Ridges support selection-style reproduction stories; flatlands don't.

Appendix D — Mathematical Definitions & Identities

  • Spherical harmonics: coefficients aℓm with Cℓ = 1/(2ℓ+1) Σm |aℓm|²
  • Matched circles (topology): statistic S maximizing phase correlations along paired great-circle arcs.
  • Compression/MDL: ΔDL = DL(model) − DL(null); positive ΔDL favors the model if penalties are included.
  • Algorithmic proxies: Lempel–Ziv complexity KLZ as an upper-bound proxy for Kolmogorov complexity.
  • Persistent homology: multiscale homology groups with barcodes; summary by Betti numbers βk(τ) and Euler characteristic χ.
  • Reed–Solomon: code over GF(q) with parameters (n,k) correcting up to ⌊(n−k)/2⌋ symbol errors; useful for short robust payloads.